5. Provide immersion experiences.
Because each of the senses has a separate storage area in the brain, multisensory input results in duplicated storage and can be retrieved by a variety of stimuli. With strategies that engage the senses, students “become” the knowledge by interacting with it. As a result, a new memory that might otherwise be forgotten is linked to a sensation, a movement, or an emotion, and therefore it travels into the memory stage. This redundancy of pathways means greater memory retention and recall. "
Judy Willis
Provide immersion experiences such as day-trips, field days, and community projects. In the brain-based method of teaching there are other innovative ways to use immersion without traveling out of the country. Immersion experiences can be implemented in a variety of ways. When all of the senses are involved, there is an increase in the possibilities of the adolescent brain to acquire and keep new information. Hardiman (2012) described the following example:
One student, for example, chose his inner city neighborhood as the subject of his survival guidebook. He explored the theme of becoming a different kind of observer by looking through the lens of a camera for the first time and creating a photo essay of his neighborhood. He used his “real-world environment by interviewing neighbors to learn about what resources existed in the community and how those changed over time…He created for his city block a “survival booklet” that included available services and contact information for those who could help in an emergency.
This student became immersed in his own neighborhood by seeing and experiencing it in a different way. He also learned valuable skills in photography, language arts, and community service. Creating a photographic essay involved many of his senses, creating a learning opportunity enmeshed with real-world experiences. This mulitsensory input has a direct effect on stimulating learning and memory.
One student, for example, chose his inner city neighborhood as the subject of his survival guidebook. He explored the theme of becoming a different kind of observer by looking through the lens of a camera for the first time and creating a photo essay of his neighborhood. He used his “real-world environment by interviewing neighbors to learn about what resources existed in the community and how those changed over time…He created for his city block a “survival booklet” that included available services and contact information for those who could help in an emergency.
This student became immersed in his own neighborhood by seeing and experiencing it in a different way. He also learned valuable skills in photography, language arts, and community service. Creating a photographic essay involved many of his senses, creating a learning opportunity enmeshed with real-world experiences. This mulitsensory input has a direct effect on stimulating learning and memory.
David Eagleman is a neuroscientist and a New York Times bestselling author. He directs the Laboratory for Perception and Action at the Baylor College of Medicine, where he also directs the Initiative on Neuroscience and Law. He is best known for his work on time perception, synesthesia, and neurolaw (Eagleman.com). This YouTube video is part 5 in a series, for more on the subject click here.